Dear Livery Members,

Last Friday’s ‘Livery Lockdown Lecture’ was exceptionally well attended. It was the 2nd in the series and the topic was Heraldry of the City of London and its Livery Companies.

I took the opportunity to weave in the paternal and maternal arms of the Lord Mayor and those of SABTAC… happily Alderman Keaveny joined us for the lecture and kindly spoke about the London, Dublin and Connemara elements of his arms and the visual connection with the Solicitors’ Company.

The lecture repeats this Friday evening at 6pm: Enrolment at cityarms.eventbrite.co.uk

Next week I turn to the 3rd in the series of lectures on the topic of ‘Customs and Ceremonies of the City of London’. It will be a generous nod to the work of Dr George Williamson, author of Curious Survivals, which was published in 1921 and records the many curious traditions extant in the United Kingdom. His book opens with the City and says there is no place on earth where so many curious habits have been preserved. Since his time the variety of customs have only increased!

The lecture will be held on Friday 15th of May at 6pm: Enrolment at citycustoms.eventbrite.co.uk

Several among you have forwarded requests from members for a repeat of the 1st in the series of lectures ‘Treasures of the Livery Halls’. With that in mind I have scheduled a repeat on Friday 22nd May at 6pm: Enrolment at liveryhalltreasures.eventbrite.co.uk

Please feel free to join us at one or all of the above. They are delivered live and are very much a two-way experience in which I invite and encourage audience participation, the more the merrier!

NB. If the lockdown continues beyond end of May I will add a 4th lecture on the Provincial Guilds of England and Scotland.

Paul D Jagger
Court Assistant WCIT and author of ‘The City of London Freeman’s Guide’